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The Detour exhibition presents an exceptional collection of notebooks by artists of international acclaim

Detour is set to arrive in Paris on 24th April. This itinerant group exhibition displays the Moleskine notebooks designed by over 30 artists, writers, designers and illustrators of international acclaim. After the successful experiences in London and New York, the exhibition will land at the Printemps Design boutique in the Pompidou Centre, before taking to the road again, first for Berlin, then Venice, Istanbul, etc. At every leg of the journey, it magnetizes new artists having special connections with the city in which the exhibition is taking place.

Some notebooks contain detailed stories, expressing a study of contemporary design. Others are more improvised. Others are radically personal.

Christian Lacroix's notebook features collages produced by this great French couturier, whose passion for the practical dates back to his early childhood in Arles. And so, he perpetuates the mixture of cultures and styles, with that added touch of folly, which has marked his entire life's work.

Ron Arad focuses on the day-to-day aspect of design, representing moments and even images in which he develops links with imaginary sounds and displays an innate sense of design and composition. The Detour exhibition offers visitors an exceptional opportunity to admire works by this renowned designer, to whom the Pompidou Centre is to dedicate an exhibition in 2008.

Maira Kalman, the author/illustrator behind many of the covers of the New Yorker and best known for her children's books - in particular the celebrated series on the globe-trotting poet dog, Max Stravinsky - has designed seven pairs of shoes which tell the difference between right and left in fairytale form.

Joep van Lieshout's work is both fascinating and oppressive. He includes very unusual, protruding features. His small notebook is hermetically sealed in a white ball of foam rubber.

The works by Cristina Lei Rodriguez, which form part of the same school, are very much like coloured sculptures.

This collection of extremely personal Moleskine notebooks is displayed in transparent boxes purposely designed to allow visitors to leaf through them, after donning white cotton gloves.

The website www.moleskine.com/detour outlines the cities touched by the Detour exhibition, and offers photographs of the works displayed as well as a short biography of the artists.

myDetour event in Paris

The French capital is also to host the myDetour event, which invites members of the public to illustrate their own notebooks and drop them into the special boxes located in the La Hune Bookshop, Boulevard St-Germain, the Flammarion Bookshop, Pompidou Centre, and the Passerelle du Printemps, Boulevard Haussmann, from 24th April to May 2008.

The New York City Notebooks by the artists from the Parsons School for Design of New York are also on display. These artists have taken part in the Moleskine myDetour and have exhibited their notebooks at the opening held at the Art Directors Club-NY.

Ten notebooks by participants at the Parisian myDetour will be selected for exhibition in Berlin, and the author of the best notebook will be invited to the opening of the Berlin exhibition.

Moleskine srl, the company behind the Detour exhibition, and all the participating artists support the non-profit organisation lettera27, whose aim is to promote the right to literacy, education, access to knowledge and information: www.lettera27.org.

Moleskine supports the lettera27 foundation by providing an annual contribution for its projects. In exchange, it enjoys the right of access to the notebooks and the images contained therein. The extent of Moleskine's funding to lettera27 for the year 2008 equals €150,000.

Moleskine recalls the small, legendary notebook which acted as an essential accessory for great artists and writers over the last two centuries. This bosom-friend, silent and discreet, a witness to some of the most beautiful adventures, returned to the fore in 1998. The Moleskine notebooks, with their differently designed pages, accompany the most creative crafts, and have become the symbol of modern globe-trotting. Today there exists a vast range of notebooks and agendas intended for the most diverse uses, which combines a spirit of independence blending simplicity and appeal.

The driving force behind the event, Raffaella Guidobono, works throughout Europe and America. Her mission is to promote contemporary art through exhibitions of Latin-American artists. The design and organisation of the event are handled by Zetalab, (www.zetalab.com).

The Detour and myDetour notebooks will be on permanent display at www.moleskine.com/detour and www.moleskine.com/mydetour.